1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric current distribution system for automotive vehicles which is installed in a vehicle compartment and distributes an electric current supplied to its input terminal to a plurality of loads via a plurality of output terminals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art electric current distribution system installed in a compartment of an automotive vehicle is, for example, constructed as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, a plurality of input terminals of a junction box 1 installed in the vehicle compartment are connected with a plurality of output terminals via series circuits each consisting of a fuse FS and a relay RL, via fuses FS, or directly. The respective input terminals of the junction box 1 are connected with a front wiring harness 3 via a connector 2, and a current from a battery or other power supply is fed thereto. On the other hand, the output terminals of the junction box 1 are connected with series circuits each consisting of a load driving switch SW and a load 6 via a connector 4 and wiring harnesses 5 installed in the vehicle compartment such as a cowl wiring harness, a door wiring harness, and a floor wiring harness. Conclusively, the fuses FS, the relays RL, splices of the wiring harnesses 3 and 5, etc. are taken up by internal circuits of the junction box 1. By suitably turning on any one of the load driving switches SW, the current distributed by the internal circuits of the junction box 1 is supplied to the corresponding load 6.
However, since the position of the junction box 1 as an electric current distribution system, the positions of the switches SW, and the type and number of the loads differ depending upon the type of vehicles, the construction of the internal circuits of the junction box 1 and the number of the input and output terminals differ largely depending upon the type of vehicles. Thus, the junction box 1 needs to be prepared for each type of vehicle, leading to an exceedingly high production cost which includes the costs for a high number of different molds.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-97684 discloses that control units for controlling a variety of output devices provided in the vehicle are detachably mounted on one motherboard and that circuits required for at least one of the control units are mounted on the motherboard so that some of the circuits can be shared. In the above junction box, some of the circuits may be used for different types of vehicles as disclosed in this publication. However, since the junction box still needs to be prepared for each type of vehicle, the disclosure of this publication does not lead to a reduction in the production cost.
The present invention was developed to solve the above problem, and an object thereof is to reduce a production cost by providing a junction box which can be used for different types of vehicles.